


Empty

by ashryvergrace



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Mighty Nein - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:40:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26050534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashryvergrace/pseuds/ashryvergrace
Summary: The beginnings of the lavender tiefling bloodhunter and the endings of Mollymauk Tealeaf.
Kudos: 6





	Empty

"Empty," the word echoes, lonely among the trees. Green and green and green. Endless. Feral terror curled in the lavender tiefling's gut, clutched in his hands. Fight or flight. A doe stalks past, elegant, her fawn beside her. Eyes link and she cocks her head. Some primal understanding. She's not afraid of his red eyes. She blinks, once, twice, nudges the fawn on and the tiefling feels compelled to follow, limbs tucked in because that's safest, tail curled around one leg, arms brought into the scarred chest, fists clenched. "Empty," he tries to tell her. It means nothing. Empty body, vacant, why was he here, who was this person? The pressure, the fear, the panic of being alive is too much. Everything is too much. "Empty," he insists, urgent, then panicked, then scared, then the word barely escapes between the sobs. The doe pauses, blinks wordlessly. Wanders closer, wary, protecting her fawn. He doesn't notice until he feels her delicate head resting on his arms, which are in turn, wrapped around his legs, curled into his chest. He sobs until the pain subsides. The doe blinks at him and the tiefling dries his tears, getting back to his feet to follow her.

§ § §

Beau is numb. Everything is numb. The world is shades of blue despair, white hot anger and red eyes open yet stilled. She doesn't hear Caleb or Nott, doesn't hear Keg. When the others are far enough away, she sits by him, doesn't know what to say, what to feel. She traces the patterns of his tattoos, takes his hand. She wants to scream at him, so she does until her throat is raw and the screams die down to sobs. Caleb offers a hug and she doesn't refuse. Caleb has a quiet softness, a quiet strength, a quiet understanding. They bury him together and for a while at least, numbness is easiest. 

Jester has silver tears shining in her blue eyes when they explain. Nothing will be the same. At the graveside she cries, never tries to hide it, and somehow that's worse. Because Beau can't bear to see her friend hurting. She offers Jester a hug because it's the only thing she can think of. Words are too loud, too painful. Fjord is silent, like Caleb, they stand side by side, a little closer than usual, Nott held on Caleb's hip.

Yasha's agony is the worst. Because regardless of what she tells herself, regardless of what she tells others, Beau does love Yasha. The aasimar falls to her knees, _trembling_. And none of them can tell whether it's rage or sorrow or pain but there is no mistaking it. Her hand grips his cloak and she buries her face in it. Caduceus stands by Beau and Jester, a towering, steady presence as they watch Yasha's pain, watch the wings unfurl and wrap around her body, protective. Yasha mourns differently. Beau's sadness was anger and rage, screaming until she couldn't breathe. Yasha's is all silence and emptiness. All Beau can think is how much the tiefling would have liked the firbolg.

Yasha launches into the sky, those wings carrying her away and Beau stumbles towards where she'd been, towards the cloak and the overturned dirt. Jester moves closer to Caduceus as Beau lets her tears fall. Everyone will shed their own tears eventually. Fjord's hand rests on her shoulder until she stands. 

"Shine bright circus man," Caleb's voice rings out in the cold air. The others glance at him and nod, Beau with them. 

"Mollymauk Tealeaf." The name was gaudy and ostentatious, but she supposed that was exactly the kind of person Molly was. The others glance at Beau. "Long may he reign." Caleb nods once and fresh tears spill over in everyone's eyes, soaking into the frozen ground. Beau only hopes that one day, she might catch a glimpse of a lavender tiefling dressed in that extravagant cloak and return here to find the hole in the ground empty.


End file.
